Category Archives: CJ Box

Review: Long Range by C.J. Box

Title: Long Range by C.J. Box
Joe Pickett Series Book Twenty
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 367 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett must investigate an attempted murder–a crime committed from a confoundingly long distance–in the riveting new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author C. J. Box.

When Joe Pickett is asked to join the rescue efforts for the victim of a startling grizzly attack, he reluctantly leaves his district behind. One survivor of the grizzly’s rampage tells a bizarre story, but just as Joe begins to suspect the attack is not what it seems, he is brought home by an emergency on his own turf. Someone has targeted a prominent local judge, shooting at him from a seemingly impossible distance. While the judge was not hit, his wife is severely wounded, and it is up to Joe to find answers–and the shooter.

The search for the would-be assassin becomes personal when Joe’s best friend, Nate Romanowski –just as he’s adjusting to the arrival of his first child–falls under suspicion for the crime. It’s a race against the clock as Joe tries to clear Nate’s name and identify the real shooter, all while deciphering the grizzly encounter. Beset by threats both man-made and natural, the two men must go to great lengths to keep their loved ones safe.

Review:

The twentieth installment in the marvelous Joe Pickett series, Long Range by C.J. Box is an absolutely riveting mystery.

Wyoming Fish and Game Warden Joe Pickett is out of his territory helping Jackson Hole Game Warden Mike Martin locate the body of hunting guide Jim Trenary.  According to out of state hunter Julius Talbot, the two men were suddenly attacked by a bear.  Talbot managed to escape without injury, but Trenary is appears to have mauled to death. The case is puzzling since unprovoked attacks by bears are virtually unheard of. Is this unsettling bear attack an isolated incident or the beginning of a frightening new trend?

Joe is abruptly called back to Twelve Sleep County following the tragic shooting of Judge Hewitt’s wife, Sue.  By all appearances, the Judge was the intended victim and he orders several law enforcement officers including Joe to investigate.  This case is Joe’s first official encounter with newly elected Sheriff Brendan Kapelow. Needless to say, no one, including Pickett, have a favorable impression of the taciturn sheriff who is not interested in anyone else’s input on the investigation.  After checking out his suspects, Joe is confident none of them are involved in the shooting. After visiting the scene of the shooting, Joe makes a shocking discovery and he turns to Nate Romanowski for advice.

Nate and his wife Liv Brannon are enjoying time with their new baby, Kestrel.  Nate is still a little uneasy about settling into regular life. His fears are soon realized after an unpleasant visit by retired FBI Agent Jeremiah Sanburg. After Sanburg delivers disturbing news, Nate becomes extra vigilant in order to keep his family safe. However, trouble is closer than he realizes when incompetent Sheriff Kapelow sets his sights on Nate for the shooting.

Joe turns to his wife Marybeth for important research into some of his hunches.  She unearths some very shocking information that turns the case upside down.  Joe believes he has uncovered the truth about the shooting, but whom can he trust to help him when everything goes sideways?

Long Range is a spellbinding mystery with a clever storyline and atmospheric setting.  Joe, Marybeth and Nate are vibrantly developed and have continued to grow and evolve over the course of this long running series. The investigation into the shooting is quite fascinating and eventually takes a stunning turn.   With breathtaking plans in place to catch a killer, C.J. Box brings this newest addition to the Joe Pickett series to an edge of the seat, adrenaline-laced conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed and HIGHLY recommend this spectacular mystery to readers of the genre.

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Filed under CJ Box, Contemporary, GP Putnams Sons, Joe Pickett Series, Long Range, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

Review: The Bitterroots by C.J. Box

Title: The Bitterroots by C.J. Box
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A riveting new novel from New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author C. J. Box.

The ties that bind can burn you.

Former sheriff’s investigator Cassie Dewell is trying to start her life over as in private practice. She’s her own boss and answers to no one, and that’s just the way she likes it after the past few tumultuous years. All that certainty changes when an old friend calls in a favor: she wants Cassie to help exonerate a man accused of assaulting a young woman from an influential family.

Against her own better judgment, Cassie agrees. But out by the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana, twisted family loyalty runs as deep as the ties to the land, and there’s always something more to the story. The Kleinsassers have ruled this part of Montana for decades, and the Iron Cross Ranch is their stronghold. They want to see Blake Kleinsasser, the black sheep of the family, put away forever for the assault. As Cassie attempts to uncover the truth, she must fight against a family whose roots are tangled and deadly—as well as the ghosts of her own past that threaten to bring her down.

With The Bitterroots, master storyteller C. J. Box delivers another searing novel of loyalty, lies, and lethal retribution.

Review:

The Bitterroots by C.J. Box is a gritty and suspenseful mystery starring Cassie Dewell.

Cassie and her fourteen year old son Ben now live in Bozeman, Montana. Wanting to spend more time with Ben and set her own hours, Cassie is now a private detective.  With her latest case wrapped up, Cassie is about to fulfill a debt she owes to defense attorney Rachel Mitchell.  Very uneasy about working for the defense, Cassie reluctantly agrees to go back over all of the evidence for Rachel’s client, Blake Kleinsasser. The case is particularly distasteful since Blake has been accused of a particularly horrific crime. With a sworn statement from the victim and a seemingly airtight case, Cassie is certain of Blake’s guilt. Heading to Lochsa County, she arranges to meet Sheriff Ben Wagy who is very reluctant  to co-operate with her. Cassie then requests to talk to the Blake’s older brother, John Wayne and his sister, Cheyenne. With her investigation being  stonewalled, Cassie cannot help but wonder what everyone is trying to hide.

Cassie is an intelligent, stubborn and highly skilled investigator who refuses to allow anyone to push her around. Despite the obstacles she faces, she  does not cut corners or skirt the law as she takes a close look at the evidence against Blake. She does not particularly like Sheriff Wagy but she is respectful even though he is dismissive and rude to her. But the deeper she digs into the case, Cassie becomes troubled by some inconsistencies she uncovers.  She is also very disturbed by the Kleinsasser family’s reactions to her presence in town. Cassie is determined to discover the truth but will she emerge from this case unscathed?

The Bitterroots is an absorbing mystery with a tautly woven plot and a vibrant setting. Cassie is an excellent investigator with plenty of experience but even she is stunned by depravity and corruption  awaiting her in Lochsa County. With some wicked twists and shocking turns, C.J. Box brings this clever mystery to a realistic conclusion. Another brilliant mystery starring Cassie Dewell that old and new fans are sure to enjoy.

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Filed under Cassie Dewell Series, CJ Box, Contemporary, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Bitterroots

Review: The Disappeared by C.J. Box

Title: The Disappeared by C.J. Box
Joe Pickett Series Book 18
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett has two lethal cases to contend with in the electrifying new novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author C. J. Box.

Wyoming’s new governor isn’t sure what to make of Joe Pickett, but he has a job for him that is extremely delicate. A prominent female British executive never came home from the high-end guest ranch she was visiting, and the British Embassy is pressing hard. Pickett knows that happens sometimes–these ranches are stocked with handsome young cowboys, and “ranch romances” aren’t uncommon. But no sign of her months after she vanished? That suggests something else.

At the same time, his friend Nate Romanowski has asked Joe to intervene with the feds on behalf of falconers who can no longer hunt with eagles even though their permits are in order. Who is blocking the falconers and why? The more he investigates both cases, the more someone wants him to go away. Is it because of the missing woman or because he’s become Nate’s advocate? Or are they somehow connected? The answers, when they come, will be even worse than he’d imagined.

Review:

The Disappeared by C.J. Box is a perplexing mystery about a missing person’s case in Wyoming. Although this latest release is the eighteenth novel in the Joe Pickett series, it can easily be read as standalone.

Joe Pickett is uneasy when new Governor Colter Allen wants him to look into the still unsolved disappearance of Kate Shelford-Longden. The  high profile British ad agency CEO vanished on her way to the Denver airport after spending a week at upscale dude ranch outside of Saratoga.  Joe has an inside track at the Silver Creek Ranch since his oldest daughter Sheridan works there as a horse wrangler. He is also joined by falconer and friend Nate Romanowski, who is a bit of a maverick when it comes to staying within the confines of the law.

Joe has serious reservations about Allen’s motives for asking him to look into Kate’s disappearance but since his curiosity is piqued about what happened to fellow Game Warden Steve Pollock, he sets out for Saratoga.  The case file he receives is light on theories and information and DCI Agent Michael Williams is not exactly eager to discuss the investigation. Nevertheless,  Joe  has little choice but to commence with the governor ordered search for Kate.

Although the staff at the Silver Creek Ranch undergo rigorous vetting during the hiring process, the contractors who occasionally work for them are not. Farriers Brad and Ben Youngberg raise a few eyebrows due to their “work hard, play harder” attitude so they are definitely persons of interest. The father/son owners of the local fish farm also raise a few flags so they remain on the suspect list as well. Then there are curious nocturnal happenings that are occurring at the local mill owned by Jeb Pryor. His overnight employee Wylie Frye is earning extra money on the side but what exactly are the people who are paying him up to?

Because Joe is pressed for time, Nate is involved in questioning some of their suspects. Nate inadvertently finds himself at a wind energy farm that completely shocks him due to the vast number of wind turbines under construction.  Nate has a conspiracy theory that ties in with his initial reason for meeting with Joe and this discovery certainly does not cast any doubt on his supposition. But how does the Buckbush Wind Energy Project fit in with the disappearances of game warden Steve Pollock, Kate Shelford-Longden and the the odd goings-on at Jeb’s mill?

Taking place during a bitter cold and snowy Wyoming winter, The Disappeared is an engrossing mystery which also features intriguing environmental issues that are socially relevant in today’s world. Joe, Sheridan and Nate are intrepid amateur sleuths who methodically investigate Kate’s disappearance along with the curious other things they uncover along the way. With Joe’s future hanging in the balance, C.J. Box brings this latest addition to the Joe Pickett series to a gratifying conclusion that wraps up most of the novel’s dangling threads. Fans of the series and genre will definitely enjoy this latest mystery starring the lovable, straight arrow game warden.

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Filed under CJ Box, Contemporary, GP Putnams Sons, Joe Pickett Series, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Disappeared

Review: Paradise Valley by C.J. Box

Title: Paradise Valley by C.J. Box
Highway Quartet Series Book Four
Cassie Dewell Series Book Three
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 350 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

She almost caught him once. Now, he’s back.

For three years, Investigator Cassie Dewell has been on a hunt for a serial killer known as the Lizard King whose hunting grounds are the highways and truck stops where runaways and prostitutes are most likely to vanish. Cassie almost caught him…once.

Working for the Bakken County, North Dakota sheriff’s department, Cassie has set what she believes is the perfect trap and she has lured him and his truck to a depot. But the plan goes horribly wrong, and the blame falls on Cassie. Disgraced, she loses her job and investigation into her role is put into motion.

At the same time, Kyle Westergaard, a troubled kid whom Cassie has taken under her wing, has disappeared after telling people that he’s going off on a long-planned adventure. Kyle’s grandmother begs Cassie to find him and, with nothing else to do, Cassie agrees—all the while hunting the truck driver.

Now Cassie is a lone wolf. And in the same way that two streams converge into a river, Kyle’s disappearance may have a more sinister meaning than anyone realizes. With no allies, no support, and only her own wits to rely on, Cassie must take down a killer who is as ruthless as he is cunning. But can she do it alone, without losing her own humanity or her own life?

Review:

In Paradise Valley, C.J. Box pits intrepid investigator Cassie Dewell against her longtime nemesis the Lizard King, a long haul truck driver and serial killer who has eluded capture for several years. This final installment of the Highway Quartet can be read as a standalone but I HIGHLY recommend the entire series.

Cassie’s patience has finally paid off and Ron Pergram aka the lizard King has finally taken the bait she has been dangling  for the past the several years.  With the trap set, Cassie, her boss Sheriff Jon Kirkbride and the rest of the Bakken County Sheriff’s department are poised to take Pergram into custody. However, the Lizard King cleverly turns the tables on them and in the process, kills and wounds several members of law enforcement. A month later, Cassie and Sheriff Kirkbride become political scapegoats for slimy and ambitious county attorney Avery Tibbs and Cassie resigns in order to protect Kirkbride’s career. She then turns her attention to finding two missing teenagers, Kyle Westergaard and Raheem Johnson, who vanished the same day her plan to capture Pergram went horribly awry. When she discovers local woman Amanda Lee Hackl also disappeared the same day as well, she is convinced her hunch that Ron is still alive is correct. Deeply worried that  Kyle, Raheem and Amanda might have somehow crossed paths with the psychopathic serial killer, Cassie begins investigating the suspicious disappearances.

Cassie is a topnotch investigator with highly honed instincts and she leaves no stone unturned as she begins trying to locate Kyle and Raheem. She immediately  stumbles onto a discovery that finds her traveling to the isolated small town of Ekalaka, MT.  From there, Cassie uncovers evidence that solidifies several of her theories and her dogged pursuit of Pergram leads her to a place that reminds her of a tragic loss and bring to mind numerous recollections of the lessons that her old mentor Cody Hoyt taught her.

Interspersed with  Cassie’s investigation are chapters about the Lizard King as he continues evading capture for his horrific crimes. He is still the same depraved and brutal man he has always been but he feels a surprising affinity for one of his victims. Pergram relies on cruel methods to keep his prey under his control but will he cover his tracks well enough to prevent Cassie from finding him?

Paradise Valley is an absolutely riveting mystery that is also quite suspenseful. Cassie is merciless in her attempts to find Kyle and Rasheem and she is definitely in her element as she wends her way across the vast and oftentimes desolate countryside while following every lead she unearths. Although somewhat bittersweet, Cody Hoyt’s presence is also keenly felt throughout Cassie’s hunt for the prolific serial killer that has eluded capture for so many years.  Longtime fans of the Highway Quartet will also be delighted to be reunited with colorful characters from some of the earlier novels in the series.  This newest release by C.J. Box is a marvelous conclusion to an engaging series that old and new fans are going to LOVE!

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Filed under Cassie Dewell Series, CJ Box, Contemporary, Highway Quartet Series, Mystery, Paradise Valley, Rated B+, Review, St Martin's Press, Suspense

Review: Off the Grid by C.J. Box

Title: Off the Grid by C.J. Box
Joe Pickett Series Book Sixteen
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Length: 380 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Penguin’s First to Read Program

Summary:

New York Times–bestselling author C. J. Box returns with a suspenseful new Joe Pickett novel.

Nate Romanowski is off the grid, recuperating from wounds and trying to deal with past crimes, when he is suddenly surrounded by a small team of elite professional special operators. They’re not there to threaten him, but to make a deal. They need help destroying a domestic terror cell in Wyoming’s Red Desert, and in return they’ll make Nate’s criminal record disappear.

But they are not what they seem, as Nate’s friend Joe Pickett discovers. They have a much different plan in mind, and it just may be something that takes them all down—including Nate and Joe.

Review:

Off the Grid by C.J. Box is a terrifyingly realistic thriller that takes place in the very isolated Red Desert area in Wyoming. This sixteenth installment in the Joe Pickett series reunites Game Warden Joe Pickett with his good friend, Nate Romanowski, when their paths unexpectedly cross after the outgoing governor asks Joe to investigate the suspicious happenings in the desert.

Nate has been living completely off the grid when an unspecified government agency sends two of its agents to coerce him into finding missing journalist Muhammad “Ibby” Ibraaheem. Although Ibby’s reputation is impeccable, his disappearance nearly two years earlier certainly caught the attention of the federal government and it appears he may be involved in some type of terrorist plot. Nate wants nothing more than to be left alone, but the agents’ promise of expunging his record coupled with some very unsubtle threats convince him to accept the assignment.

Just as Joe is heading home from a long day in the field, a distress call about a rogue bear possibly attacking a hunter puts his evening plans on hold. Using info from the GPS trackers on both the hunter and the bear, his worst fears are realized when he finds the nearly dead hunter in the bear’s cache. Joe narrowly escapes the hunter’s fate when the bear returns but both he and the bear escape the encounter unscathed. With the bear’s whereabouts now unknown, he thinks outgoing Governor Spencer Rulon is planning to assign him the nearly impossible task of tracking the bear but much to his surprise, Rulon wants Joe to investigate what is going on in the Red Desert.

Neither Nate nor Joe is prepared for what is awaiting them in the desert. The conditions in the remote area are harsh and unforgiving but what they discover at Ibby’s camp ratchets the danger level into the stratosphere. Ibby’s idealistic plan is about to come to fruition but, unbeknownst to him, the other men he is working with are planning an attack so catastrophic that it is nearly incomprehensible. Nate and Joe are determined to foil the terrorist plot but they are so completely outnumbered and outgunned, they cannot help but wonder if they will escape with their lives.

With a plausible plot and plenty of action, Off the Grid by C.J. Box is a pulse-pounding thriller that is fast-paced and engrossing.  The storyline is horrifyingly realistic in this post 9/11 era and the bad guys are chillingly brutal and willing to die for their cause. The beautiful yet desolate Red Desert is the ideal setting for these nefarious dealings and it is also the perfect backdrop for Joe and Nate’s final stand against the evildoers. A riveting novel of suspense, this sixteenth installment in the Joe Pickett series can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend the entire series.

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Filed under CJ Box, Contemporary, GP Putnams Sons, Joe Pickett Series, Mystery, Off the Grid, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, Thriller

Review: The Highway by C.J. Box

Title: The Highway by C.J. Box
Cody Hoyt Book Two
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Imprint: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel, the New York Times bestselling author of Back of Beyond and Breaking Point and the creator of the Joe Pickett series is back.

“If CJ Box isn’t already on your list, put him there.” – USA Today

When two sisters set out across a remote stretch of Montana road to visit their friend, little do they know it will be the last time anyone might ever hear from them again. The girls—and their car—simply vanish. Former police investigator Cody Hoyt has just lost his job and has fallen off the wagon after a long stretch of sobriety. Convinced by his son and his former rookie partner, Cassie Dewell, he begins the drive south to the girls’ last known location. As Cody makes his way to the lonely stretch of Montana highway where they went missing, Cassie discovers that Gracie and Danielle Sullivan aren’t the first girls who have disappeared in this area. This majestic landscape is the hunting ground for a killer whose viciousness is outmatched only by his intelligence. And he might not be working alone. Time is running out for Gracie and Danielle…Can Cassie overcome her doubts and lack of experience and use her innate skill? Can Cody Hoyt battle his own demons and find this killer before another victim vanishes on the highway?

The Review:

C.J. Box’s newest release, The Highway, is a chilling mystery that is full of unexpected (and stunning) twists and turns. Realistic and gritty, this second novel starring Cody Hoyt is quite riveting and impossible to put down. Although it can be read as a standalone story, I highly recommend reading Back of Beyond to gain a better understanding of the characters and the dynamics of the various relationships.

Beginning about two years after Back of Beyond ends, The Highway opens with Cody Hoyt’s suspension from the Sheriff’s department for professional misconduct. He quickly falls off the wagon and becomes enmeshed in a missing person’s case involving his son Justin’s long distance girlfriend Danielle and her sister Gracie when they vanish on a road trip. Aided by his ex-partner Cassie Dewell, Cody looks into the girls’ disappearance and they soon discover that they are not the first girls in the area to vanish.

Told from multiple points of view, The Highway gives the reader a well-rounded perspective of the unfolding events. This also provides incredible insight into the various characters and their reactions to the various situations they are facing. I could easily empathize with Cody’s reasons for bending the law and the resulting devastation he feels at the loss of his job is heartbreaking. Danielle and Gracie’s terror is palpable and I wanted to slap some much needed sense into Danielle. I applauded Gracie for her courage, level-headedness and ingenuity. Cassie’s regrets and doubts are agonizingly gut-wrenching and her sense of urgency to find the missing girls quickly builds to a fever pitch.

The malevolence of the killers is frighteningly real. Mr. Box aptly demonstrates that evil sometimes masquerades as normal and ordinary. The bad guys are not necessarily who we think they are and their ability to blend in is downright frightening. Although the details are vague, the glimpses into the psyche of a serial killer are disturbing and a little bit horrifying.

The Highway is a dark and twisted tale of kidnapping, torture and murder. It is an engrossing novel and while there is no mystery about the killers’ identity, it is a suspenseful novel that is multi-layered and quite compelling. C.J. Box effectively keeps the reader on the edge of their seat with some very shocking plot twists and he brings the story to an unsettling conclusion that is poignant and hauntingly true to life.

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Filed under CJ Box, Cody Hoyt, Contemporary, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, St Martin's Press, The Highway